About 10% of world trade flows through the canal and it is a major source of foreign currency income for Egypt.
The oil tanker “Seavigour” broke down Sunday in the Suez Canal, causing disruption to maritime traffic in this world’s longest waterway, according to a canal spokesman.
George Safwat, a spokesman for the Suez Canal Authority, said that the Maltese-flagged tanker got stuck after its engines failed while it was crossing, at a distance of 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the beginning of the canal.
Safwat explained that the authority has deployed three boats to tow the tanker “Siavigor” and restore navigation to normal.
He explained that the tanker was part of the northern convoy crossing the canal from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.
According to the MarineTraffic website, which monitors ship traffic, the Siavigor oil tanker was built in 2016 and is 274 meters (899 feet) long and 48.63 meters (159 feet) wide.
Sunday’s incident was the latest to cause a ship breakdown in this vital waterway.
Many ships have broken down or stuck in the Suez Canal over the past few years.
On May 25, a 190-metre cargo tanker flying the Hong Kong flag ran aground for a short time (1 hour 16 minutes) in the Suez Canal.
On March 5, the MSC ISTANBUL, which was sailing under the flag of Liberia and was en route from Malaysia to Portugal, became stranded, and the ship was refloated hours later.
The canal, which opened in 1869, provides an important link for oil, natural gas and goods.
About 10% of world trade flows through the canal and it is a major source of foreign currency income for Egypt.
According to the Suez Canal Authority, 23,851 ships passed through the waterway last year, compared to 20,649 ships in 2021.
In 2022, the channel’s revenues amounted to about $8 billion, the highest in the history of the channel.
